Our latest passage in Ecclesiastes has led me to highlight a classic song penned long before I was born.
In Ecclesiastes 3:16-4:3, the injustices of life are pondered and ultimately decried. As is common throughout the book, there aren't a whole lot of solutions offered. There are some, to be sure, but the overall style of Ecclesiastes is to offer more questions and answers. This is an especially effective approach when the subject of injustice and unfairness come up. Sometimes we just need to lament and sympathize with those who suffer.
Bob Dylan took a similar approach in his song "Blowin' in the Wind". It's known as a Civil-Right's-era protest song. While it certainly protests, it also just ambiguously presents the problems and the uncertainty of their solutions.
Here's what Dylan said about it himself:
"There ain’t too much I can say about this song except that the answer is blowing in the wind. It ain't in no book or movie or TV show or discussion group. Man, it's in the wind — and it’s blowing in the wind. Too many of these hip people are telling me where the answer is but oh I won't believe that. I still say it's in the wind and just like a restless piece of paper it's got to come down some ... But the only trouble is that no one picks up the answer when it comes down so not too many people get to see and know ... and then it flies away. I still say that some of the biggest criminals are those that turn their heads away when they see wrong and know it's wrong. I'm only 21 years old and I know that there's been too many ... You people over 21, you're older and smarter."
Gray (2006). The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia. p. 64."Blowin' in the Wind" sure seems parallel to "striving after the wind" (Ecc. 2:17, 26; 3:16) and both express frustration at the fact that life is unfair. Again, we can find answers (see the latter part of my sermon for three) - but lamenting injustice has it's place too.
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